Losers
Damon Arnette
Arnette didn’t fare quite as well as Robertson. Though it was an incomplete pass, Arnette was roasted by Chargers WR Mike Williams in the first half.
Alex Leatherwood gets beat for a strip-sack, Clelin Ferrell isn’t starting and Damon Arnette gets absolutely COOKED here.
Would say it’s a burn-the-tape game for Mike Mayock as a drafting GM, but that’s almost every week at this point. pic.twitter.com/512Qa9hfXy
— Max Chadwick (@Chad_Maxwick) October 5, 2021
The play was a perfect example of why I used the word “embarrassed” when talking about Robertson.
With the nation watching, Arnette had a nightmare of a snap. Somehow, Williams only had 11 yards on a single catch on the evening. The Chargers didn’t need him. They were persistent with the running game all night, totaling 168 yards on the ground, and LA also completed some huge plays to their tight ends at crucial moments.
Denzel Perryman
No catch in the game was larger than a haul by Chargers TE Jared Cook on 4th-and-2 in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Denzel Perryman tried to stop it, but he came up short.
Jared Cook cooks Perriman on 4th down on the rub route. pic.twitter.com/LzNLehjj8L
— The 60FPS & GIF Guy (@IHaveFourBalls) October 5, 2021
Perryman actually had fairly tight coverage on the play, but he took the loss on this crucial snap. It was the play that finally broke the back of the Raiders’ defense, allowing the Chargers to keep marching for the game’s final score, an Austin Ekeler rushing touchdown.
The Raiders’ new LB is a beast in the run game and had 12 tackles on the night, but teams appear to be targeting him in the passing game now. It’s possible he’ll lose some snaps going forward because of that.
Alex Leatherwood
The Raiders defense had a decent game compared to the offense, however, and the No. 1 reason for that was poor play from their offensive line. Rookie Alex Leatherwood had the unfortunate task of blocking Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, and Bosa got home for a strip-sack in the first half, with the Raiders recovering Carr’s fumble.
The rookie right tackle also had two false starts before halftime. In the second half, his play steadied somewhat, but much of the credit for the Raiders’ success in the third quarter (when they scored all of their 14 points, including a Darren Waller TD) goes to Carr, who had to run for his life and make off-script plays, which he did several times.
The Raiders were humbled on national television on Monday night against a division rival, but all is not lost. With a 3-1 record, there’s a lot to play for in Las Vegas. And clearly, there’s plenty of room to improve as the season progresses.
[lawrence-newsletter]